Toy gun



AMmh 16, 1943. E. c. BORT'H TOY GUN Filed NOV. 18, 1940 i m 4 4. LT n P l r E r n l X V m n .w Tm. nu

Patented Mar. 16, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE V 2,313,121 l i 'roxv GUN Y p l Edward C. Berth, Watertown, Wis. 'Application November' 1s, 1340, serial No. 363,151.

1 claim. (criar-735) My invention refers totoy guns adapted to shoot rubber bands, and it has for its primary object to provide a simple, economical, and ef-v fective release mechanism for the bands, it being understood that the gun may be of the pistol type, or other variety.

The specific object oi my invention is to provide a release mechanism wherein the trip hammer is in the form of a tooth wheel under control of a spring trigger, the wheel being adapted to rotate successively for the release of bands loaded thereon.

With the above and other minor objects in view, the invention consists in certain pecu1iari ties of construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth in connection with the accompanying drawing and subsequently claimed.

In the drawing: i

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a toy gun of the pistol type, having parts broken away and in section to more clearly illustrate structural details. Figure 2 is a plan view of the same; and

Figure 3 is a cross section of the same, showing the `trigger release mechanism, the section being indicated by line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring by characters to the accompanying drawing, the numeral l indicates the butt of a pistol body having an extended barrel 2, and

provided with a butt cavity 3. Mounted in the butt cavity is a tooth wheel 4 constituting a trip hammer, the spokes 5 of the wheel being adapted to receive one end of a rubber band 6, it being understood that upon rotation of the wheel, one of the teeth is exposed above the pistol body.

VAs shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, the spokes 5 of the wheel 4 radiate from the hub at angles of 90 degrees and their working faces are formed with straight parallel side walls and at the hub intersections of the companion spoke, said walls are merged by a curved throat, which curved throat in connection with the straight side walls of the teeth, form a, socket or crotch.

The toothed wheel is provided with a pivot pin 1, and also mounted in the cavity 3, by means of a. pivot 8, is a trigger lever 9, the upper end of the same being adapted to engage between the` teeth of the trip hammer wheel. Said trigger is held in locked position between two of the wheel teeth by a spring l0.

Attention is directed to the trigger nose which engages the socket or crotch between the spokes of the wheel 4. This locking nose of the trigger is formed with a rounded or curved portion for snugly` engaging the corresponding curved socket, between thespokes of the wheel and the curved portion of thisV trigger nose is merged into a flat or straight portion, which also engages one of the straight side walls of the wheel spokes. By this peculiar combination of the engaging portions between the wheel and trigger, due to their complementary surfaces, the spring controlled trigger will automatically place one of the spokes in an exposed position for the reception of the firing band, and even though the firing band exerts a force to rotate the wheel, the `complementary locking nose and socket of the wheel, will rigidly and positively hold the wheel; Furthermore, due to this peculiar construction, the nose of the trigger when manually rocked upon its pivot for ring, will readily strip from its engaged position, as it describes an arc upon the pvot. Hence, the trigger, when released, will under spring control snap back into the crotch or socket of the wheel and automatically position it for firing purposes. From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the endless rubber band, when loaded for shooting position, is first inserted over the end of the gun barrel 2, and the opposite end is looped over one of the exposed teeth of the trip hammer wheel. The tension of the band exerts a rotating pressure upon the wheel, whereby it is normally locked by the nose end of the trigger, as best shown in Figure 1.

When it is desired to shoot the gun, the trigger is pulled against pressure of the spring, as

indicated in dotted lines, whereby the toothed trip hammer wheel is free to make approximately a quarter revolution to release the band for discharge at a target.

Owing to the plurality of teeth upon the wheel 4, it will be observed that one of the teeth is always in position to receive a rubber band, and it is not necessary to adjust the wheel manually, as it will automatically resume its position and be locked by the trigger. words, the wheel or trip hammer does not have to be adjusted by hand for loading the rubber band. It will be noted that the spoked wheel is mounted upon the pivot pin 'l which is tightly tted through the wheel and also tightly mounted in the walls of the butt cavity 3, hence any tendency for the wheel to spin clockwise is insured due to the fact that the wheel rotates under frictional resistance. Under the above conditions when the trigger is pulled free of the wheel spokes the band is released and even In other Y though the operator holds the trigger in the dotted position Figure 1 of the drawing, the wheel now although free from spring tension will assumer the approximate position shown in Figure 1 with the forward spoke below the upper line oi the wall or approximately so, hence: when the trigger is again relieved from manual pressure it will snap back into the position shown in full lines and even though the forward spoke is slightly above or below its normal position the nose of the trigger in seating upon the hub socket will rigidly lock the trigger preparatory to receiving another band thus the ring;

spoke of the wheel is always in its proper posi tion for receiving a band. It will be understood in the clockwise and the reverse rotatable movefact that the nose of the trigger, which engages the hub socket, is backward ofan imaginary 20 line intersecting the axes of the pins 1 and 8, due to this fact theY trigger, now cannot move surface of the trigger rmly locks Vthe two members in theposition shown in Figure 1.v Should the operator manually press the exposed spoke in a non-clockwise movement, upon release of this pressure the parts will again take their proper position.

It is understood that while I have disclosed several details minutely, I may vary the structural features of my invention within the scope of the claim.`

I claim:

A rubber band lock and release means for a toy gun comprising a frictionally controlled pivoted wheel having radial spokes merging into aV hub forming rounded socket, a spring controlled pivoted trigger having' a rounded nose for v engagement with a .hub socket, the nose being ment and said locked position is due to theV provided with an offset spoke engaging flat head portiomgwhereby the wheel is positioned and the wheel inV a further clockwise movement, l

because the idle spoke which engages the crown locked for the reception of a band upon its exposedspoke; the-said spokebeing held in its band receiving yposition against Ynfiovement in either direction.y

l EDWARDVC. BORTH. 

